The Right Words
by CrazyClouds
Summary: In a world where All Might was just a little less prone to shoving his foot in his mouth every time he opened it, how would the first meeting between the Number One Hero and a Quirkless Midoriya Izuku play out? One-shot.


"_You should probably give it up."_

"_I'm sorry, Izuku! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm-!"_

"_What the hell can _you _do!? You're _**Quirkless**_!"_

* * *

Izuku's outstretched hand lowered back to his side, clenching into a shaky fist.

_They… They might be right… But even so, I…!_

"Can I become a Hero, even without a Quirk!?"

The massive man froze, hardly able to believe his ears. "...Without a Quirk?" Suddenly, the man hunched over, shaking. Had Izuku been looking, he may have immediately jumped to the conclusion that the Number One Hero was laughing at him, but attempting to keep it quiet. Fortunately, his eyes were clamped shut in anticipation for the answer which may very well change his life.

"Oh no, _holy shit, _goddammit…" All Might whispered, muscles clenching painfully.

"It might've been because I don't have a Quirk, but I've always been made fun of. Maybe that's why… I don't know… But, I think saving people is super cool- saving people with a fearless smile. I want to be the greatest Hero, like y-!"

A gaunt, skeletal man stood in the midst of a dispersing cloud of steam. The muscular stature of All Might was nowhere to be seen. Izuku screamed.

* * *

Izuku woke up to a series of slaps, and for a moment, he wondered if it had all been a dream. Then, he looked up, and saw the sickly man hovering over him. Izuku screamed, causing the blond to wince and back away, holding his palms over his ears. Thankfully, the boy didn't pass out again.

"Y-you, you're, All Might deflated-!? A-are you a fake!? You're s-s-so _skinny!"_

The skeletal man grimaced. "I _am _All Might," he said with conviction, shadowed eyes boring into the green-haired teen. The image was ruined by the waterfall of blood pouring out of his mouth. Izuku screamed again.

"_No way!"_

"Think of it like… You know those guys at the public pool who are always flexing and posturing? It's like that."

"N-no… No, it can't be… All Might is fearless, h-he saves everyone with a smile- he's the greatest-!"

The man sighed. "A fearless smile, huh?" He sank to the ground, leaning against the railing bordering the rooftop. "Well, now that you've seen me like this, young man, I suppose it can't be helped. Just make sure you don't write about it online or anything, even by accident, alright?" Before Izuku could even comment, All Might pulled up his baggy white t-shirt (which had previously strained against his bulging muscles, but now draped over bones), revealing a scar. If you could even call it a scar, that is. The teen squeaked and recoiled in disgust.

It looked more like a crater than anything, twisting the surrounding flesh, sinking into his gaunt ribcage. It was a myriad of bruised purples and angry reds, extending from his waist up to his pectorals- about a quarter of his upper-body.

"It's an injury I got from a Villain's attack around five years ago," All Might explained, staring blankly at the age-old wound. "Half of my respiratory organs were destroyed, and I lost my whole stomach. I've become emaciated from repeated surgeries and the aftereffects. Right now, I can only work as a Hero for about three hours a day."

"That's… Five years ago…? Was that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw!?"

All Might raised an eyebrow. "You're quite well-informed, young man. But, no. A punk like that couldn't defeat me. No, this fight was never made public to the world."

"But, why…?"

"Why, huh? I am the Symbol of Peace. I cannot be daunted by evil, or by a mere injury, so I must keep doing what I do; saving people with a smile on my face. I smile, to ease the people of the world… And to trick the fear inside me. Pros are always risking their lives. I cannot simply say that, even without power, you can become a Hero. This brings us back to your question, though. What type of Hero do you want to be?"

For a moment, the shock of being told, _by All Might nonetheless, _that he couldn't be a Hero was overridden by confusion over the question. "W-what type of Hero…? I- I want to save people with a smile on my face, like you!"

All Might shook his head, his floppy bangs swaying in front of his electric-blue eyes. "Not what I'm asking, kid. There are a few different classifications of Heroes. There's the Combat Heroes, which I am, Support Heroes, Rescue Heroes, Underground Heroes- the list goes on and on. Each has a certain set of skills which are essential to their job. Combat Heroes have speed and power, allowing them to deal with physical conflicts. They tend to be the ones with the flashier Quirks. Support Heroes make the gadgets that all Heroes use, each tailored for a specific task. Rescue Heroes can manipulate the terrain, making it a bit easier to clean up the aftermath of a huge battle, as well as make it possible to reach any trapped civilians. Underground Heroes are all about stealth, sticking to the shadows, and taking care of the grittier side of the Hero Industry. Very few people really know about them, since they tend to stay out of the spotlight."

Izuku's eyes were swirling at the sudden influx of information. Normally, his quick mind could sort through anything in an instant, but coupled with the fact that the info was coming from All Might, and considering the entire situation, he could probably be forgiven for being a bit slow.

"I, uh, I… Didn't know there were that many options? I guess, I sorta knew, but I always thought I would be able to work that out once I got into U.A, maybe? Um, I'm good at analyzing Quirks. I do that a lot in my free time, so maybe that could work to, like, figure out how to take down a Villain in the fastest way possible? And, my mom and my teachers always said I was a fast thinker, so that probably helps? I never was the fastest or strongest or most powerful, and I don't even have a Quirk, or know martial arts, and I've never even been in a fight, so I probably wouldn't do that good in combat, but I could stay back and provide support for the frontliners, probably? Like, make up strategies so that they can deal with the Villain more efficiently?"

All Might climbed to his feet and walked over, clapping a bony hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Well, young man, it seems like you've got this figured out. Work to your strengths, don't neglect your weaknesses, and someday, I believe you will become a great Hero, Midoriya Izuku. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go drop this guy off at the police station," All Might said, tapping the soda bottles in the deep pockets of his green cargo pants. With a grunt of exertion, he popped back into his familiar muscle form. "Don't tell anyone, but next year, I'll be a teacher at U.A. Make it in, even if it's in the General Education Course, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other a lot more. Farewell, young man!" Laughing boisterously, All Might leapt off the roof, leaving a gale of wind in his wake. However, Izuku hardly processed the gust that bit at his eyes.

"All Might believes in me… Maybe I _can _become a Hero!"

* * *

**Just a one-shot, because I was wondering how it might go if All Might wasn't such a tactless jackass. What happens from here on out is up to your imagination, so go wild, I guess.**


End file.
